Thomas e



T R. SPENOE. Machine for Dressing and Finishing Pine-Out Tobacco.

No. 22'0,883. Patented Oct. 21,1879.

UNITEDESTATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS, n. SPENGE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING ANDIFINISHING FINE-CUT TOBACCO.

Specificatiop forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,883, dated October 21, 1879 application filed April 2, 1879.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known. that I, THOMAS E. SPENoE, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio. have invented a new and useful Machine for Dressing and Finishing Fine ,planeof the line w m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section inthe plane of the line y 3 Fig. 2, and Fig. sis a sectional view, showing a modification in the means for guiding the shakers.

Similar letters of reference denote the same parts in the severalffigures of the drawings.

In the manufacture of fine-cut tobacco, the tobacco is taken from the cutting-machine in moist lumpy masses composed of long and short fibers, which are then treatedby hand to separate them into loosely-adhering locks or flakes, and to sift outthe short fine particles called shorts, which constitute an inferior grade of tobacco. The long fibers thus dressed are then dried by exposure to the air in a suitable room of the factory, preparatory to being placed in packages for the market.

Myinvention has for its object to dress and finish fine-cut tobacco by machinery, and thereby dispense with theexpensive and laborious process of performing such work entirely by hand; and, to this end, it consists in a machine for dressing and finishing fine-cuttobacco, consisting, essentially, of one or more verticallyreciprocating shakers and a horizontally-reciprocating riddle arranged beneath the shakers, the whole inclosed in a suitable easing, into which heated air is introduced to dry the tobacco in the shakers and riddle, whereby the tobacco is reduced to a flocculent condition and the shorts separated from the long fibers.

It also consists in combining with the shaking and riddling devices and casing, an endless carrierarranged below the riddle, andby which the dressed tobacco is carried out of the machine and exposed for a proper time to the action of the heated air for thoroughly drying it.

In the-accompanying drawings, A represents an upright case with an extended base, 13, upon the rear side, which may be continued to form a trunk, O, for the carrying-apron. These parts are constructed with a wooden frame inclosed by boarding, and the part A, instead of standing perpendicular to the base, is inclined rearward slightly, to git e the proper motion to the shakers.

The shakers are composed of a shoe, D, having two bottoms at different levels, each provided with longitudinal ribs E, the highest bottom, F, being at the front of the machine, and the other, G, immediately below and in rear of the first. The space between the two bottoms is covered by a wire or other screen, H, for the passage of heated air between them.

The shak ers are arranged in a horizontal posi-tion,inclining slightly downward to the rear,

within the upright part of the casing, and aresuspended by pitman I from eccentrics, crankwheels, or cranks on the ends of the drivingshaft J, having its bearings at or in the top of the casing.

The rotation of the driving-shaft imparts a vertically reciprocating movement to the shakers, which are guided between the upright sides of the case, to give them a rearward -throw on their upward movement.

As shown in the drawings, the frame of the upright casing is inclined slightly to the rear, as hereinbefore described, and the shoe of the shakers is guided between the corner-pieces a of the framing. For this purpose the sides of the shoe may be provided with wide guideboards or strips K, as shown in Fig. 3, or instead of the guidcstrips the ends or sides of the shoe may be provided with grooved castings l, to move on correspondingly-ribbed ways m, secured to the casing, as shown in Fig. 4.

N is a riddle, arranged in an inclined position within the casing below and in rear of the lower shaker, and reciprocated horizontally by a pitman and a crank-shaft, 0, at the front of the machine.

The riddle may or may not be provided machine.

with longitudinal parallel lribs, and its ends, in front and rear of the perforated center, are without openings or perforations.

Its arrangement with respect to the shakers is such that, when reciprocated, its inner end shall always remain under the rear shaker, to catch the tobacco discharged therefrom, and prevent it from falling to the bottom of the P is an endless feed-apron placed at the front of the machine above the shakers, and Q is an endless carrying-apron arranged within the extended base of the casing, so that its inner end shall lie under the riddle. These two aprons, as well as the crank-shaft O, are driven by belts and pulleys from the countershaft R in the upright part of the casin g, such counter-shaft receiving its motion from the main shaft by belts and pulleys. The moist lumpy masses of tobacco from the cuttingmachine are spread upon the apron P, and by it fed to the shakers, which toss it up and separate it into flocculent lengths, and as it falls from one shaker to the other it is turned and further spread out, the ribs of each assisting in the operation. Upon leaving the lower shaker it falls upon the riddle, where it is still further separated, and the fine particles or shorts sifted out and deposited upon the floor or bottom of the machine, from which they can be removed through doers in the sides of the casing. From the riddle, the tobacco thus treated is deposited in loose flakes or looks of long fibers upon the endless apron Q, by which it is carried away from the machine and deposited upon the floor, or some object placed under the end of the apron to receive it.

During the passage of the tobacco through the machine it is subjected to the action of heated air introduced at a convenient point beneath the operating mechanism, say, at S, Fig. 2, which fills the casing and comes in contact with the tobacco on the shakers, riddle, and discharge-apron, a portion passing through the riddle and another through the screen between the two shakers.

By this means the tobacco is dried upon all sides, and when discharged from the machine is finished and ready for packing.

If desired, the discharge-apron may be dispensed with, and the tobacco taken from the machine as it leaves the riddle but I prefer to use the apron, as it more eifectually removes the tobacco and exposes it for a longer time to the heated air for drying.

The outer end of the dischargeapron should be raised above the floor to a suflicient height to admit of a suitable receptacle being placed under it to catch the finished tobacco, and covered openings should be made at suitable points in the casing, through which the process can be inspected from time to time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of the vertically-reciprocating shakers F G and inclined guides a a, mechanism for operating said shakers, the reciprocating riddle N, in rear of and below the shaker G, the whole arranged within a suitable casing, in which heated air is introduced to heat the tobacco continuously, in its pas sage through the machine, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the vertically-reciprocating shakers F G, inclined guides on a, and mechanism for operating the shakers, whereby a rearward movementisimpartedto the shakers on their upward throw, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of March, A. D. 1879.

THOMAS E. SPENCE.

Witnesses:

E. A. ELLswoR'rH, FLAMAN BALL, Jr. 

